Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile It looks like Symbian^4 is going to come sporting a new look. That is, at least based on these recently revealed screen captures (of which there are seven). They are coming courtesy of the Symbian Foundation wiki and are showing off goodies including the some of the homescreen and some of the application screens. And as much as I may take criticism for this comment, these screenshots make me think of a cross between iOS and Android. Read [Symbian Foundation] Via [Electronista] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Earlier today we mentioned that AT&T had begun selling the Samsung Captivate a little earlier than expected. Certainly good news, but how about this fancy Captivate packaging. According to the details of the story, this fancy bundled Captivate was given to one of the higher-ups within the AT&T ranks. So no, this will not be the one you find at your local AT&T location. Fancy looking box, fancy looking packaging and what appear to be real metal hinges. I think I am jealous. Hit the link below to check out the rest of the gallery. Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Gadgets / Other  The Boxee Box has finally arrived. Well, it hasn’t arrived for most of us, but the first run of factory units have arrived to Boxee HQ. The box design hasn’t changed since we saw back at CES, but it’s nice to know that the device is getting closer to release.
To celebrate the arrival of the box, we have Zach Klein of Boxee showing the small details of the box. The box is incredibly easy to set up, all you have to do, according to Zach, is power the Boxee Box and plug it into a TV via HDMI (or any of the plethora of other outputs). He also points out the silicon bottom that helps the Box stick to any surface, and continues to the “kick-up” which makes the box much easier to pick up and move around. According to the video, the Boxee Box is set for release in “late October, early November.” It falls in line with the delays we heard previously, but just seeing the box makes it seem more real. Now all we have to do is wait until we can finally get our hands on some factory-made units of our own. Read [Vimeo] Via [Mashable]  The first Boxee Box arrived from the D-Link Factory from Zach Klein on Vimeo. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile Just before the Droid X was released, there were fears that the presence of eFuse on the chipset would make it impossible to root the device. The fear was that if the software on the phone wasn’t correct, eFuse would cause the phone to brick. Now Motorola is saying that the presence of eFuse will actually be of help to hackers when software is installed unsuccessfully. According to Motorola eFuse will cause the Droid X to reboot into recovery mode if the phone detects unapproved software. This apparently will actually help hackers, as unsuccessful attempts at installing software will only result in the phone booting into recovery mode, rather than bricking it. The security on the phone is actually similar to that of the Milestone, which doesn’t brick when the bootloader is changed, meaning the same is possible on the Droid X. So, the Droid X is just as hackable as every other Android phone, and is theoretically even nicer about it. It’ll be easier for hackers to see what works and what doesn’t since the phone will simply reboot into recovery if it doesn’t work, and it won’t be lost forever if something goes wrong. Now all we have to do is wait for the phone to be rooted to see how well Froyo can work on the device. Read [Electronista] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Broadband Cards, Mobile, Computers, Wireless, Gadgets / Other, Transportation Mobile 3G access is getting to the point where it actually seems fairly easy to acquire. Well easy, but still not free. Either way though there are plenty of options available ranging from USB dongles to MiFi devices to Mobile Hotspot apps on smartphones. Granted the MiFi and Mobile Hotspot apps are a little more convenient because they allow you to connect a few other devices over Wi-Fi. And given these can go anywhere you go and are generally small enough to fit in most pockets that should be what you would want. Enter Subaru and in-car Wi-Fi. They seem to think that we want our cars to be broadcasting as a mobile hotspot. And honestly, a few years back I would have been all over something like this. At this point I will stick with my Mobile Hotspot app. But if you feel different and want a mobile hotspot equipped car then you may want to consider the 2011 Subaru Outback, which will be equipped with Autonet Mobile. In short, Autonet Mobile is a router that is installed in your car. And as you would expect—it comes with a price. Both in the form of upfront cost and a monthly cost. The option to have it installed will be $499 (plus a $35 activation fee). And then you pay $29 for the service every month. But hey, at the very least the kids will be happily surfing the interwebs in the back seat on long drives. Otherwise the Autonet Mobile service will allow up to 10 devices to connect and work in a range of about 150 feet. Sounds like a crowded car with 10 devices. But hey, at least you can now check Twitter and or Facebook when you step out of the car to take care of other business. That is as long as you stop and park within 150 feet of your destination. Read (and image) [CNET] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Websites, Google  Google announced today that it received its last shipment of Nexus Ones available to the public through Google’s online web store. After it runs out of inventory, Google will officially end sales of the Nexus One in the States. However, people who live in Europe can purchase the N1 through Vodafone, and if you live in Korea you can purchase it through KT. Google may allow other carriers depending on local market conditions. In case you are registered developer, you can still purchase the N1 even after Google officially ends online sale. If you own the N1 or plan on buying one, Google will continue to offer customer service.
Read [Google] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  So we all knew that AT&T was expected to begin selling the Samsung Captivate (a Galaxy S phone) on July 18th—however it seems like at least a few AT&T locations have taken that date as more of a suggestion than a rule. According to the AndroidGuys blog, some of their readers were able to pick one up already.
“I called my local AT&T corporate store and they confirmed that they had quite a few in stock and that indeed you could buy them right now.”
Of course, this may be the case of a few isolated incidents, but it could also be that AT&T has simply decided to throw caution to the wind and begin selling the Captivate a little early. Either way, if you were holding out for the AT&T flavored Galaxy S then you may want to give your local AT&T retail location a quick call. Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  Steve Jobs mentioned a few manufacturers during his keynote address saying they too create phones with antenna issues. Nokia already issued their statement regarding Jobs’ accusation that Nokia uses stickers on their phones informing Nokia users where to not hold the phone. RIM recently released their own statement and calls Apple’s situation a “self-made debacle” and accuses Apple of trying to “deflect attention.” The full statement can be read below:
“Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM’s customers don’t need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple.” - Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie
I would not be surprised if we hear from Samsung and HTC (both of whom created phones that Jobs mentioned during the keynote address) about their antennas. Perhaps Apple should have taken the high road and admitted a mistake without having to specifically list Nokia, RIM, Samsung, HTC as manufacturers who have similar problems. Personally, it’s nice to see RIM defend BlackBerry Bold 9700 users and Nokia stick up for itself. Via [CrackBerry] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile During the Apple event held yesterday, Apple made it a point to explain how even other phones created by various manufacturers experienced reception issues when held in a certain manner. Steve Jobs called out Nokia saying Nokia issues stickers on its phones about where not to touch because of reception issues. Nokia took offense to the statement by Apple and issued a statement firing about at Apple explaining how Nokia would always choose reception over physical design. The full statement can be read below: Antenna design is a complex subject and has been a core competence at Nokia for decades, across hundreds of phone models. Nokia was the pioneer in internal antennas; the Nokia 8810, launched in 1998, was the first commercial phone with this feature.
Nokia has invested thousands of man hours in studying human behavior, including how people hold their phones for calls, music playing, web browsing and so on. As you would expect from a company focused on connecting people, we prioritize antenna performance over physical design if they are ever in conflict.
In general, antenna performance of a mobile device/phone may be affected with a tight grip, depending on how the device is held. That's why Nokia designs our phones to ensure acceptable performance in all real life cases, for example when the phone is held in either hand. Nokia has invested thousands of man hours in studying how people hold their phones and allows for this in designs, for example by having antennas both at the top and bottom of the phone and by careful selection of materials and their use in the mechanical design.
It’s nice to see Nokia so devoted to making sure their products work correctly. It’s also nice to see Nokia issue a statement with their own opinion about Apple’s accusations. Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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